Laue diffractometer maintenance

At any one time, the group assigns one person to look after the day-to-day operation of our Laue. The maintenance of this system is relatively simple and involves changing a filter that cleans the building proceed chilled water before it enters the cooling circuit of the rotating anode. We need to check this filter annually.

Our Laue diffractometer

Checking and changing the filter

  1. Close both taps on the wall behind the system.
  2. Press the black button on top of the filter housing, which is the cylinder labeled Shelco, to drain the excess pressure from the water circuit.
  3. Put a bucket under the housing and turn the large nut on top of the housing counter-clockwise to open the housing.
  4. If the filter looks dirty take it out and replace it with a new filter, which can be found on top of the cupboard in room 233.
  5. Dry and close the housing and open the water flow. Inspect the area carefully to ensure there are no leaks.
  6. There will usually be a lot of bubbles in the water circuit at this point, which is not good for the operation of the diffractometer. Before operating the x-rays, leave the water running for 10 minutes to saturate the filter and then tap the housing firmly and cycle the water flow on and off multiple times until no more bubbles appear.